Shoe form



F. E. coMs'rocK A SHOE Foam Filed-Sem. s. 1921 May 1s, 1924. I F. E. COMSTOCK S HQE FORM Filed Sept. 3 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 13, 1924.

UNE'EED STATES PATENT ori-rea FREDERICK E. COIVISTOCK, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALF T0' GEORGE LA FORCE, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA.

SHOE FORM.

Application led September 3, 1921. Serial No. 498,356.

To zZ Z '1.o hom. t may conce-ra Be it known that I, F animaron E. CoM- srooii, a citizen of the United States, residing at Valparaiso, in the county of Porter and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Shoe Forms, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to improvements in shoe forms and it more especially comprises the features pointed out in the annexed claims.

The purpose of my present invention is to provide a shoe form that will hold the uppers of high shoes in extendedl shape for display purposes and the uppers of low shoes similarly distended to present a pleasing' appearance; that provides means for controlling the extent of expansion of an inflatablebag through the use of" a limiting plate or surface herein called a baille; that provides means for overcoming the rounding of the toe portion of shoes on display, as forms heretofore used have done, by causing the toe portion of the bag to shape itself into two connected or disconnected toes; and that forms an automatic lock or holding curve which prevents the form being pushed out of the shoe when the bag is inflated.

This invention is a further development of that disclosed in my application for Letters Patent bearing Serial Number 139,600-5 tiled January 24, 1921.

With these and other ends in view, I illustrate in the accompanying drawings suoli instances of adaptation as will disclose the broad underlying features Without limiting myself to the specific details shown thereon and described herein.

Figure 1 is a. side elevation partly in section showing a high shoe form and inflatable bag in position within a shoe, whose contour is shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a. plan view of the form and bag portions of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation in section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. n

Fig. l is a. side ele-vation similar to Fig. 1, of a low shoe with a form in an extreme raised position` showing the lowered position in dot-dash lines and the shoe contour in dotted lines. The bag is also shown in full lines like the form.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a bag.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of a bag with two toes.

Fig. 7 is an elevation in section of a solid form having a baille under surface, y

Fig. 8 is an elevation in section of Fig. 7 on line 8 8.

Fig. 9 is a cross section showing a shell form with a plain baille under-surface.

Fig. 10 is a plan View of the low shoe. form.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of a toe clamp in position.

Fig 12 is a side elevation in section of Fig. 11.

Fig 18 is an end elevationv of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is an end elevation of `joined toes.

Fig. 15 is a. cross section showing clamp positioning beads.

Fig. .16 is a diagrammatic view of a rounded shoe toe when a single diameter bag is used at that point.

Fig. 17 is a diagrammatic view of the,

more pleasing and natural flattenedtoe effect produced by two inflated diameters.

In carrying out the features herein described. I may largely vary the details of adaptation without departing from the spirit of my invention. As the exemplication of a practical expedient. I may use any desired form of metallic or other rigid form 2 for high shoes or 14, 17 or 1S, for low shoes1 so long as a baille plate 5. 15, 22 or surface 20 is used to confine the. expansion of the inflatable bag 8 within the foot portion of a shoe and also prevent the pressure of the bag forcing the form out of the shoes 1 and 13.

To produce an attractive display the upper of the shoe l. is held flattenedby the narrowed upper edge 10 of the form. This also assists in holding the form in place when the shoe is laced over it, because the lower portion is considerably wider as will be seen in Fig. 2, though the general outline of the form will of itself assist in its retention, even in that applied to low shoes 13, but in the latter case the rear portion of the form is curved so as to lool; itself in that part of the shoe.

The form 2 may be made in two halves that are riveted to each other along the front by rivets 3 at the top and bottom and at the rear edge by the rivet 4 placed at the top, leaving the halves unfastened at the bottom so as to admit of some sideivise flexibility at this point 1n case 1t is found desirable to compress or expand the form to a closer approximation of the style of shoe that is to be displayed.

place in this form. The battle plate 15, Fig.

4f, also has a depending 'tlange by means of which it is held in the form 14C by soldering, spot Welding or otherwise. The rivets 3, 4t, and 11 may be dispensed and soldering or spot Welding used instead. Batlle plates 5 and 15 have air hose slots 'i' and 1b respectively tor the air inlet tube S), with its usual retaining valve at the top, and the solid form 18 of Fig. 7 also has an opening 19 for the airtube. In the latter ease side flanges 2l are shown, though battle plates and forms may be used Without tianges as shown at 22 in Fig. 9, and in this form the hollow sheet metal form has a closed top 17 through Which the hose 9 passes.

In carrying this and its related inventions into practical use, it has been'tound that a bag of a single diameter throughout its length does not produce an attractive result because that part of the shoe below the torni,

at the toe end of the shoe, is expanded into an objectionable round shape as shown in Fig. 16. This is avoided by dividing the bag 23 into tWo connectedv diameters 25 as shown in Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 17 by means of a forked clip 24. As an alternative the two diameters 27 of Fig. 14 may be joined by a solid Wall 26. In the case of Fig. 13 retaining beads 28 of Fig. 15 may be formed on the bag to keep the clip 241 central of the toe portion of the bag and also serves to guide the clip into position. As a turther alternative the bag may have separate toes 12 shown in Fig. 6.

From the description and drawings it Will be seen that an important. advance has been made in this art. Without the use of the baille plates the inflatable bag is not confined to the part of the shoe that requires to be expanded7 but bulges upward into the form to no purpose. In this invention the action of the air pressure is restricted and directed in an effective and simple manner.

What I claim is:

l. In shoe forms, a removable and relatively rigid hollow form to be placed within shoes, a balle plate inside of the form at the bottom end thereof rigidly secured to the form, and an inflatable bag adapted to press against the shoe sole the battle plate and the shoe lea-ther between the plate and the sole.

2. In shoe forms, a rigid removable holloW sheetmetal member approximating the inner shape of a shoe and being narrow in Width at the top and broader at the bottom and a battle plate secured to the inside ot the form at the bottom end thereof adapted to limit the movement oit an inflatable bag When both are placed Within the shoe.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature.

FREDERICK E. COMSTOCK. 

